Yellow Ribbons
by spicygenou
Summary: A songfic between Mayuri and an OC. The song is "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree" by Dawn.


**EDITED: Notes at the end :]**

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Kurotsuchi Mayuri was hunched over his desk, tinkering with a simple device that would project his message throughout all of Soul Society. He had spent less than a week on this, it certainly wasn't a hard task for him. The only reason it took six years between the birth of the idea and the actual acting out of said idea was that Mayuri was afraid. If_ she_ heard the song—which she would since he was a capable scientist whose experiments never failed—and if she understood it was from him—which she would since who else could do so large a project—and if she rejected him—which she should since it had been nine years since he saw her, or rather abandoned her—Mayuri would probably kill himself. Or kill others. Or both. Most likely both, actually.

He held the black box in his hand. It had a single speaker, but unlike human stereos, this had a maximum volume of 120 decibels, a bit louder than a rock concert, but just barely quiet enough to not cause pain or hearing damage. This may not seem loud enough to cover all of Soul Society, from Seireitei to the farthest districts to the forests beyond even those, but it was designed to echo through all the alleys, never decreasing in loudness no matter how far the vibrations went. How was this possible? Well, that's a secret for a scientist, now isn't it? His finger hovered above the button, then he pushed it, producing a sharp click as the button went down. A faint buzzing was heard, then an audible voice began to sing to a cheery tune, her favorite actually.

I'm coming home. I've done my time.  
Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine.  
If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free,  
Then you'll know just what to do if you still want me.

Mayuri sat back in his chair, putting his feet up and closing his eyes, remembering when he first met her. He had been wandering through Rukongai, trying to find inspiration for a new experiment. He had been in an inventing slump then, none of his projects went his way, and the ones that did proved to be completely useless and un-beneficial to society. Not that he cared too much for society, but he still wanted credit for being an incredible inventor. That's what all scientists want: to change the world. Anyway, he was debating whether he should work on an adhesive that would bind paper to metal indefinitely or on a twelve slot toaster when he stumbled on a portion of the sidewalk that had been very poorly paved. He didn't fall to the ground, yet his slip didn't go unnoticed.

_"Are you okay?" asked a gentle voice._

_Mayuri, the sun reflecting in his amber eyes and lighting up his blue hair, looked around to the sound, seeing a young woman. She had blonde hair with slight waves that swayed in the wind, creating the illusion of being at sea: a sea of gold. Her blue eyes behind long, dark lashes sparkled as she regarded the stranger amused. Her head was slightly cocked to the side, matching her small grin which revealed pearly white teeth surrounded by thin, pink lips. Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, and a dimple showed itself to the left of her mouth. She had a classic type of beauty, which was the first thing that Mayuri noticed. The second thing was where she was standing. Broom in hand and clad in a simple, green kimono, she had been cleaning the front entrance to an apothecary's shop. A voice sounded from inside._

_"Hey, Sayuri! You done yet?" shouted a grumpy man._

_The girl turned, her smile vanishing along with her dimple. "Ya, just about!" She looked back at Mayuri. "Sorry about that step. People trip on it all the time, but gramps in there refuses to fix it, even though it's on his property." She rolled her eyes. "Oh! I'm sorry, can I help you?"_

_"Huh?" Mayuri answered—with class, mind you._

_"Do you need the services of the apothecary? You see, I'm Sayuri, the assistant apothecary. Do you need anything?"_

_"Oh, no. I was just walking."_

_"Okay. You sure you don't want to come in and browse?" Her face took on a begging expression. Mayuri guessed that she must get bored here. There weren't alot of people in this district, and probably very few of them took interest in potions. He shrugged and mumbled something, then entered. Sayuri smiled again, setting her broom against the wall by the door and led him in._

_For an apothecary shop in the middle of Rukongai, there was actually a vast selection, all stored on purple velvet-covered shelves. The lighting was low and provided by flickering candles, creating a mystic feel as it bounced off the many colors in bottles of various shapes and sizes. There were tiny papers covered in fine scrawl, naming the nearby potions: Love Potion, Devil's Curse, Ultimate Cure. There seemed to be potions for any ailment, from death to the flu. There were also shelves packed with ingredients to make your own potions: dragon scales, eye of newt, rat's tail, angel wing feathers. Though it was a bit pagan for Mayuri's liking, the scientist in him enjoyed the browsing and he was curious as to whether these potions had real effect. He asked questions occasionally and Sayuri answered eagerly. She seemed knowledgeable about all the merchandise and eager to share it with a customer. He had been in there for a while when he realized he had to go. Not wanting to displease the woman, he bought several potions at random, along with one of each of the ingredients. She beamed when she totaled his items, and even gave him a discount. Before he left, she thanked him for coming and for his curiousity. He nodded and went on his way, not looking back as he walked back home. Laying on his bed, he felt a slight craving to talk to the girl more, but not just about potions and medicines. He fell asleep thinking about her but was dreamless that night._

If you still want me,  
Oh, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.  
It's been three long years.  
Do you still want me?  
(Still want me?)  
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree,  
I'll stay on the bus,  
Forget about us,  
Put the blame on me,  
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.

_From then on, Mayuri visited the shop frequently, from once a month at first to everyday. Him and Sayuri grew close, though he failed to notice her interest through her blushing and stuttering when he would get too near or reach across her body for a potion. Scientist to scientist, they exchanged information about things they had discovered; he shared about the wonders of uranium while she explained how to get rid of measles with three common spices. The head apothecary was old and frail, thus he mainly stayed in his quarters behind the shop, but he did come out occasionally to chat with his best cutomer. He was friendly enough, though wary of the man who spent too much time with his granddaughter for his liking. Sayuri never told of her relationship with the shop owner, and Mayuri never asked. He probably never would have even realized that their bond had grown over the year until she gave him a potion one day._

_"I made it myself," she said, blushing as she shoved the plump, round bottle into his hands. The pink liquid inside seemed to swirl with red. A delicate, white ribbon was tied in a neat bow around the neck, matching the heart-shaped cork._

_Mayuri regarded the potion. "Thanks. What is it?"_

_Sayuri mumbled, taking on a traditional pose of shyness, hands behind back, head down, and foot making circles on the floor._

_"What?"_

_Sayuri looked up, face matching the color of the potion and blurted, "It's a love potion."_

_Mayuri blinked, not quite understanding the meaning of the gesture. "Than-" his word was cut off when Sayuri leaned forward and placed her lips on his. Mayuri leaned back, shocked, breaking the kiss. Sayuri looked at him expectantly, waiting for some type of reaction. Then he hesitantly moved his face forward, their lips meeting and barely touching. He pushed forward a bit more and gently put his hands on her waist. Her hands clutched at his arms as both closed their eyes, feeling the connection shared by the kiss. They parted and both smiled awkwardly at each other. He was the first to pull away. "I have to go. I'll see you tommorrow." She nodded and he walked home, feeling much lighter than usual with each step. _Must be the fumes of that place. They're finally getting to me,_ he thought, although inside he knew that something other than fumes was making his heart jump to a fast beat._

Bus driver, please look for me,  
'Cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see.  
I'm really still in prison, and my love, she holds the key.  
A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free.

Mayuri sighed in his chair, his eyes heavy with fatigue. He had never liked this song much, but she was constantly humming it. He found out the name and gave her a record player and a record with the song on it. That was his first of many gifts to her—he certainly spoiled her. They never went further than kissing in the few years they were together, but they shared a deep bond. He would take her and they would walk together, sometimes just around town, sometimes to the forests, where she always found joy in observing the wonders of nature. Her favorite place was a clearing with deep, green grass and a huge, oak tree in the middle. She would climb up this ahead of him and they would sit and hold each other on the thick branches, watching the butterflies or the sun as it went on its path across the sky or just feeling the wind whistling against their faces. She would sing her song, with a soft voice that made the song more enjoyable than the record to Mayuri's ears. Oh yes, ears. He had them back then. Sayuri used to say that they were her favorite part of him, for they listened to her constant singing and rambling all day. Of course, he didn't mind either of these things, but she always appreciated him for it anyway. Without her preferred part of his body, how could she love him now? Especially with all his body and face paint: he looked like a monster. After seeing how he used to look, she wouldn't take him back. No sane person would.

The song was still playing all over Soul Society. People looked up from where they were working or whatever they were doing, trying to find the source of the song. After a few verses, most people shrugged it off, while others cursed it since the tune was now stuck in their heads. A woman in a cabin also looked up. She smiled, knowing exactly who the song was from, and who it was for. She stood up and made her way to the nearest store. Hopefully, it would have ribbon: yellow ribbon, to be exact.

I wrote and told her please,  
Oh, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.  
It's been three long years.  
Do you still want me?  
(Still want me?)  
If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree,  
I'll stay on the bus,  
Forget about us,  
Put the blame on me,  
If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.

_"Mayuri, I'm glad you got that lab job, but don't you think this is dangerous?"_

_Mayuri sighed, but smiled at his love. _Only Sayuri would not only love me after all the unethical experiments I've performed, but be concerned for _my_ safety, _he thought with a mental sigh_. _"Yes. I really think this will help everyone. If we can harness nuclear power, we'll be able to push Soul Society into a new era, one free of polution and full of possibilities!" _

_Sayuri also sighed. He had given her this speech many times since him and his team started researching nuclear power. She knew how the world could change with his help, but she also knew the risks. People have stayed away from nuclear power sources for a reason, after all. "Alright, just be careful."_

_"Of course. Today, we're finally doing a full scale test. It's the moment of truth for us." His face gave away all his excitement and anticipation for the event. As the head of his team, Mayuri would have the honors of pushing the button, or whatever it took to start up nuclear sources. Sayuri could imagine a huge, red button that required all of Mayuri's strength to push down. She had wanted to visit the site, but he thought it was too dangerous, which made her even more worried for his safety._

_Her worry seemed to be well placed._

_It grew dark, and Mayuri still hadn't returned. He would've stopped by the shop to let her know the results... unless... no. She wouldn't think of it. She grabbed her shoes and rammed her feet inside then rushed to the site. It took an hour and she was sprinting, fueled only by adrenaline, and a couple energy potions. She couldn't believe what she saw. The lab out in the middle of nowhere was completely ruined, obliterated. It was still smoking and several men had gathered, the leader seeming to be an old man with a long white beard. Everyone had similar black robes, but he had a white one over his. Sayuri rushed over to him and forgot her manners as she cried while clutching at his robes._

_"Please, sir. What happened? Tell me there were survivors!" She sobbed louder, knowing that there couldn't possibly be any survivors in an explosion of this magnitude. The trees that had once stood proud outside the building were completely gone, as where the lifeforms in the builiding, Sayuri knew. The old man looked at her with pity._

_"I'm sorry, ma'am. There was only one survivor." She choked and looked at him with hope._

_"Who?"_

_"The man who was in charge of this attack on Soul Society. He has been moved to a prison for the most dangerous and unstable of criminals. This experiment of harnessing nuclear power could be used to kill millions of people, thus we can't let him further his research." She stood up from her position on the ground and beamed._

_"Thank you, sir. But, why are you putting him in prison? Mayuri is a genius. His research can be used to further the world!"_

_He was surprised at the sudden change of emotion and retaliated, "And it can also be used to send the world into chaos. Do you know the risks of nuclear power? Luckily for everyone, the man used an isotope with none of the thousands of health risks as the others."_

_"Of course he did. Mayuri knew what he was doing. You'll come to regret imprisoning him. With his mind, a whole new future could be unlocked."_

_The man nodded, "Either way, he is dangerous. We will hold him until we further decide his fate." With that, he vanished, as did the other men and women at the scene. Sayuri smiled, happy in her heart that Mayuri was alive, yet also sad that she may never see him. She kept hope, though, and knew that one day, they would be reunited. Until then, she would love him, and on that note, she walked back home, humming all the while._

Mayuri, of course, was unconscious and in a small prison cell during that scene, so he never knew that Sayuri knew he was alive. He assumed she forgot him, but still he hoped. The blast had harmed his face: he lost his ears and started wearing paint and odd outfits to draw attention away from it. Finally, after three long years in the Maggot's Nest, a man named Urahara came and took him out, putting him and his mind to work in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. First chance he got, he went to the old shop; it was no longer an apothecary shop, but a small bakery. The step outside had even been fixed. Neighbors said the old man had died last year, and the girl had moved away, too sad to carry on the business without a partner. They answered Mayuri with fear, for he was dressed and painted in an odd way. He moved on, visiting all the places they had gone, but never finding her. He returned to the 12th division depressed, and never smiled (besides his trademark maniacal grin) from then on. No one questioned his new moodiness, and people tried to stay away from him.

Mayuri's memories were interrupted when a man, Urahara-taichou, walked in.

"Hi, Kurotsuchi-kun! Is this nice song your doing? I never would've taken you for a music guy."

He opened one eye at the cheery blonde and huffed.

"What's this for? Or rather, who's this for?"

No reply.

"You know, maybe you should go to this old oak tree of yours. If she loves ya still, you'll be in for a surprise, won't you?"

"She doesn't"

His blunt reply surprised his captain, who had expected further silence. "How do you know?"

No reply.

"Eh. Just go and be yourself! If she fell for you in the first place, she can fall for you again."

"Not looking like this she won't."

"Then don't wear your paint 'n' stuff. Don't give up hope."

No reply.

"So... how long has it been?"

"Nine years. Three of which were when I was in prison."

"What's her name."

No reply.

"Come on, you can tell me. A girl who could've fallen for you must be worth mentioning."

Mayuri wasn't sure if this was a compliment or an insult, to him or to her, so he answered, "Sayuri."

"Sayuri? How cute! You guys have matching names! A match made in heaven, really!"

No reply.

"Are you gonna go?"

A huff.

"No?"

A grunt.

"Yes?"

He didn't answer, but stood up. He hesitated by the door, though.

"So, why'd you pick this song?"

Mayuri turned to his captain and spoke, "It is her favorite, and it seems appropriate. While the details aren't exactly like ours, the meaning is clear. It's about a man out of jail who wants to know if his girl still loves him. But, his story ends well. I doubt mine will. She loved this song, but she always said it wasn't 'our song' because she said I'd never leave her. After letting her down like that, there's no way she'll be waiting for me."

Urahara shrugged, "Then why bother if it's hopeless?"

The words stung Mayuri, but inside, a small bit of hope still wavered in his heart. He reasoned that he was merely curious, but he knew that Sayuri wasn't just another experiment he yearned to find the answers to. With a grunt, he rushed out the door. People were shocked when they saw him, recognizing his reaitsu but not his normal appearance. Some women even thought him attractive, despite his lacking ears. The song had been repeating and repeating, constantly playing to every soul that could hear, even the ones without ears. As he flash stepped to their tree, he found himself humming to the song. But he gasped aloud when the tree came in view.

Now the whole damn bus is cheering,  
And I can't believe I see,  
A hundred yellow ribbons 'round the ole oak tree.

Yellow ribbons of all shapes and patterns were tied on the tree in big bows. They dotted the branches and the trunk, and the tree seemed like a new species of oak that produced not leaves, but yellow ribbon. He stared in awe at the tree, his focus being broken by a figure coming from behind the tree.

Sayuri looked the same as she had years ago. Bits of ribbon were in her hair and on her clothes and her hand wielded a pair of scissors. She smiled at Mayuri who, for the first time in years, smiled back. She threw her scissors down and ran to him. He barely had time to spread his arms when she jumped on him, knocking him off balance. He faltered, but remained standing as he held the woman in his arms. She had wrapped her legs around his body and her arms were on his neck. Her face was buried in his robe. He inhaled her unchanged scent: strawberries, covered by faint perfume he had bought her twenty bottles of. Between sobs and slaps and kisses, Mayuri made out the words, "I love you." She had told him that many times before, but he had never said them back, not until that day.

"I love you, too," he stated firmly, before he planted a passionate kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, she had a shocked look on her face. It was soon replaced by a smile as she buried her face once more in his chest. She lowered her legs back to the ground and stepped away, grabbing his hand. She gave him one last peck before they walked off, hand in hand. They didn't know where they were going to, and they didn't care, as long as they were together. As they wandered, they stole furtive kisses, blushing like the young lovers they were. They talked and caught up on each other's lives, though Mayuri had one phrase on his mind all the while. Noticing he was side-tracked, Sayuri spoke.

"Are you okay?"

He looked down at her and smiled, then blurted out his thoughts before he could comprehend what he had said, "Will you marry me?"

Sayuri was shocked, but answered him with a kiss, "Of course. But, you can pay for the yellow ribbon this time."

I'm coming home, mm-hmm.

Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.  
Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.  
Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.

The wedding was simple and sweet. Mayuri wore a plain tuxedo while his bride wore a white gown. Around her waist was a yellow ribbon, tied in a bow at the back. The train was long, and the beading was detailed. To him, she was the most beautiful woman on the earth. He couldn't take his eyes off her as she walked down the grassy, petal-covered aisle. They had an outdoor wedding, below the old oak, of course. The only people in attendance where the other captains, for the marriage of a seated officer requied offical witnesses, and Sayuri had no more living relatives. Most were bored, but others were able to feel the emotion and read the love on the usually-mad scientist's face. They all congratulated the couple after the ceremony and left quickly, having more important things to attend to. But, the couple was so absorbed in the other, they hardly noticed. They left to Mayuri's house in Seireitei, him carrying her in the traditional fashion as he flash stepped to his-no, their-home. From then on, their love grew, day by day. Everyone noticed the change in Mayuri. With a purpose to live, he no longer was a mad scientist, but more like a slightly-crazy-and-willing-to-take-risks scientist, something his assistants were relieved at, knowing he wouldn't experiment on them again. Sayuri was often seen with him, they would just walk, holding hands. Their outward displays of affection made some roll their eyes, but they still thought the two's love was cute.

They tried to add a new member to the family, but they found that Sayuri's body wouldn't allow it. She was depressed, and Mayuri vowed to give her a child. He slaved away, and finally with his research on gigai and gikon, he created a daughter, Nemu. Both parents grew to love the girl who was made by their blood. Sayuri sometimes didn't approve of how Mayuri treated Nemu like an experiment, but whatever he did, he had Nemu's safety in mind. She could withstand a lot because of what he did to her body, and though she wasn't completely human by physical standards, Mayuri and Sayuri's love fueled her to become a normal girl, with normal emotions, who may one day find love like her parents did. And, even as she grew older, she was always seen with a yellow ribbon in her hair, a personal preference of her parents.

Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.  
Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.  
Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree.

Tie a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree...

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**Like the intro says, this is a songfic to the lovely song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" by Dawn. I don't own it, or Bleach, or Mayuri. :'[ But I do own my character! :D If you haven't heard the song, you should listen to it! It's cute. I first heard it in the car with my dad and my first thought (not including, "Why do we keep listening to seventies music?") was about how adorable it was, and in boredom, I came up with the above! I hope you enjoyed! :D Oh, and I so didn't mean to have the OC's name so close to Mayuri's! I'm serious! I was looking up Japanese names and I found this one, and was like, perfect! Then I typed it into the spots I had left open for the name. After a few, I saw the similarity! But, I guess it's kinda cute, like when couples are Paul and Paula, or Eric and Erica... I went back through and edited, with spacing and double dash mess-ups, in order to make the errors as un-distracting as possible so you can further enjoy. Rates and reviews appreciated.**


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